A Blaze in the Northern Fly

*except consignment stock

Many of you are already aware, others probably anticipated the eventuation. For those who aren’t/didn’t, here it is.

Sad to see things end this way, but Glenn’s passing, coupled with a myriad of factors that seem to be ever mounting against us, has forced our hand to this point. The last day of the store will be Monday, August 21 and then the doors are closed for good. We may resurrect the store as on online only entity, I (Jackson) may return to tying commercially or that may simply be the end. Anyone who knows me personally will be aware that the last couple years have been….brutal, to say the least, and I am keen to take a breath, focus on my tattoo work, spend time with my family, friends and animals and actually, maybe, miraculously get some time to fish again.

We will endeavour to be open 11-4, every day until we close. You’ll find either Dan or Andrew behind the counter, both of whom have been a tremendous and irreplaceable help to the store over the last few months. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who supported us in the two-ish years we were open. Because of you, we were well on our way to becoming a pivotal entity in the community - but life had other plans for us, apparently.

Undoubtedly, this announcement will stir up a number of questions and uncertainty, so if you have any concerns, email the shop and we’ll be back to you as soon as we can.

Lastly, if anyone is looking to make a bulk purchase of stock, we are open to discussion on that. Let’s talk.

Two and a half weeks to go. Let’s make them nice.

🍻and thanks for everything - ABITNF

When to find us this week

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Except on consignment stock.

Get it👊

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You know the drill by now.

You can now grab the All Axis shoe in store. Compatible with all Korkers soles, and the perfect wet wading shoe for summer.

These shoes are well vented, fast drying and have superior internal drainage. All shoes come with a 12 month warranty. Limited sizes, so stop in and check them out today.

When to find us this week. Thanks for your continued patience.

A small selection of some hackle we have recently received. Many more on top of this. Dry fly capes, wet fly hackle, streamer necks - and more. All from whiting and Metz.

Come in and check them out before they get snapped up.

The weekend will soon be here and on Saturday we will be at the 2nd Annual Vancouver Island Spey Clave at Cumberland Lake Park on Comox Lake, starting at 10:00 A.M. We will have some rods for you to try out, a raffle, and a silent auction for a Meiser MKS rod. You can also check out the Riverstick wading staff which is made right here on Vancouver Island. Attending with us will be rod builder Shane Keep who will have some of his beautiful builds for you to try out. See you there!

In a little over a week, you can find us at the Vancouver Island Spey Clave at Cumberland Lake Park. May 13 from 10am. Stay tuned for a little peek of what we’ll have in store on the day!

It’s that time of year. Pre cut window tint strips now available in store. Variety of colours. 75mm and .5mm widths available for all your chironomid tying needs.

Get ‘em in store, or online now.

If you’ve been tying flies for any amount of time, you will have noticed that the quality of bucktails has deteriorated pretty significantly over the years. Current batches are smaller, sparser and more expensive.

Thankfully, we’ve managed to secure 150+ high quality bucktails, many in the 12 inch plus range. Loads of material to tie quietly flies with, and all reasonably priced.

A variety of colours and sizes now in stock. Stop by and check them out.

Hi folks. We are extremely pleased to announce that ABITNF is now a proud stockist of and

Stop by and check them out when you’re next by the store. Beautiful, handcrafted reels from the heart of Colorado, ready to take you on whatever fishing adventure you have in store.

The ESN reel is a powerhouse for the dedicated euro-nymph angler. Features a large arbor for quick line pick up, an adjustable weight system to ensure the perfect balance with your weapon of choice, a full frame to prevent those pesky ultra thin leaders sneaking through and tangling and a sealed carbon drag. Basically, a fish catching machine.

Is it a stellar piece of kit? Absolutely! Do you need it to catch fish? Absolutely not. At ABITNF, we have built a reputation on fair, impartial advice, and unlike others, we will never send you out the door with gear that is well above your experience level or budget. Just what you need to get out there and have some fun.

If Sage is not your thing, we have plenty of other options from Lamson, Redington, Echo, Cortland, Orvis and soon, the fine folks at Ross and Abel.

Thanks to all for your support of the store over the last year and change. It’s been a blast!

Big restock on hooks and beads (yes, including the coveted 718s, but of course, limited stock)

Some of the best and strongest hooks in the business.

Stop by and stock up before I take them all home with me 🤷🏽‍♂️ (I probably won’t. Glenn gets angry)

Hey, we’re back!

Winter time on the water means constantly changing flows, tough conditions and at times, challenging fishing. The Pro Sportfisher tube system is a highly innovative tying solution that allows to ability to make adjustments to weight whilst on the water, allows replacement of dull or straightened hooks and is just plain fun to tie on. Great for intruders and larger ‘meaty’ patterns.

If you haven’t tried tying tube flies yet, and want to know where to start, stop by the shop for a demo. We’ll be glad to show you. And for anyone on the know, these materials are getting harder to find, so don’t sleep as these are sure to fly (lol) out the door.

Local legend Tom Murray, creator of the Rolled Muddler and the Tunkwanamid came by the shop to drop off a few flies and pick up his Christmas present: an Echo Boost Beach fly rod.

Thanks Tom and have a very Merry Christmas!

Rob and his son had a great day out with our guide on the Cowichan catching nice browns and rainbows.

Gift cards are available for purchase online or in store! Link to online shop in bio

Big sale going on for black friday weekend at the shop! Come stop by and check it out

Please note, we will be closed until 1:00 p.m., Tuesday November 15th as we will be assisting with the coho egg take at Marion Baker Fish Hatchery on French Creek.

We urge you to get involved in local enhancement initiatives in your area by contacting the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation at: [email protected].

Business as usual from 1pm, onwards.

Thanks!

Searun Cutthroat are in local streams looking for salmon eggs and anything else they can find. Our buddy Nate got this beauty on a Rolled Muddler. Nice fish Nate!!

Closed tomorrow. Open Saturday.

Thank your local veteran, and enjoy the day.

Handful more of these in stock. If you know, you know. These always fly (lol) out the door, so don’t sleep if you missed the last run. Beautifully presented snippets of fly tying/fishing history.

Due to prolonged drought conditions on Vancouver Island, the DFO have made the decision to close salmon fishing in region 1 from today until further notice. An overall positive move, but some things to consider.

A few rivers remain open for salmon fishing - Both Qualicum Rivers, Puntledge, Somass, Stamp, Campbell River but please seriously consider whether you need to be out there handling those fish. The beach has been fishing reasonably well - if you need help with your setup for saltwater, stop by and we can help.

Please be considerate and respectful if you do choose to fish salmon in the open streams. This has hurt a lot of guides, recreational anglers and beyond - most of all, the fish. A little respect will go a long way in ensuring this is a resource we can continue to enjoy for years to come.

Photo credit: Globe and Mail

Have you seen our new stickers?

Designed by our friend , all the way from the motherland, these are available in store and going into web store orders now. Grab one for a donation to the Nile Creek enhancement society.

Loads of you have been asking for hats and merch. Rest assured, we have them coming. Just trying to make sure we do them right the first time, and as ethically as possible. They’ll be worth it.

Chinook in the rivers. Coho off the beaches. What a time to be on Vancouver Island!

Looking to get your hands on the fresh collab apparel? Look no further! ABITNF has you covered.

Caps, shirts, hoodies and sweats all in stock. Limited sizes, so get em while we got em!

For you pink salmon enthusiasts out there, we have your pink fuzzy and handlebar needs covered! A must have pattern for the salt and inlets, come down and grab em before they go (and before the pinks show up)

www.ablazeinthenorthernfly.com

Look who's back from the interior! 'Is Glenn here' crowd, rejoice!'

Equally exciting are our recently arrived goods from

New website imminent. For now, stop by or give us a call 6 days a week.

www.ablazeinthenorthernfly.com

Couple of beauties through the door from our friends at . Perfect hand crafted, hand net and small boat net sized with black rubber mesh baskets - right out of Tofino BC.

If you're due a new landing net, these options from Archer Nets are beautiful and are sure to meet all your criteria on the water.

The prolific stopped in to pick up some tying supplies yesterday. Was a treat to be able to pick his brain on some techniques and philosophies around fly tying. Wes is a member of our pro team, and whilst we can't promise we can help you tie like him, we can certainly supply you with the materials to give you the best possible chance.

We have some fun stuff in the pipeline with Wes, so keep an eye on the feed to see what is coming up.

For the traditionalists amongst you, crafted us some beautiful, handmade fly wallets. Perfect size to fit in your wader pocket/pack and will keep your married wings and traditional salmon/steelhead patterns well protected (that is, if you're bold enough to fish them after spending an hour tying one)

Limited stock, so grab 'em while you can!

Lookit what we got 👀

Limited edition Speedster reel in dark smoke from the fine folks at

Strong drag, saltwater friendly, light as a feather and beautifully presented with red accents. This will become your go to reel in no time. I loaded this thing up with a Commando Smooth line from OPST and have never looked back.

Check them out in store. Our new webstore will be launched soon.

A bit of housekeeping too - Glenn is fishing the Cariboo for the next 3-4 weeks, so card carrying members of the 'is Glenn here?' crowd might want to wait for his return to visit again.

For everyone else, we'll be open the usual hours.

Tight lines! // ABITNF

We recently unshackled Glenn from the front counter so he could take his son out for a day of chasing browns with resident guide and all around good guy, .

From the unhinged glint in his eye, looks like he got out just in time.

Guided trips on some of Vancouver Island's most prolific rivers are a great way to create lasting memories with friends and family.

Interested in booking a trip? Stop in or give us a call and we'll be more than happy to get you all set for a day you won't forget.

You want? We got them!

The spring 2022 run of caps and patches are now available (in limited quantities) from A Blaze In the Northern Fly. Seriously. Don't sleep. We sold some before we even took them out of the box.

Thanks Noel for putting this together for us. These are absolute beauties!

www.ablazeinthenorthernfly.com

If you know, you know.

Get your Kreelex now, from ABITNF.

www.ablazeinthenorthernfly.com

Waders are here! Escape, Escape zip, Escape wading pants (for you freaky types out there) and the elusive women's escape waders that a bunch of you have been asking for.

Redington Escape series is a lightweight, breathable option at an excellent price point and comes with a 12 month warranty.

Can't argue with that.

Pay us a visit and get yourself fitted.

www.ablazeinthenorthernfly.com